Semiconductor sales down 30.4 percent

Worldwide sales of semiconductors were $14.2 billion in February, a decline of 30.4 percent compared to February 2008 sales of $20.3 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today. Sales declined by 7.6 percent from January when sales were $15.3 billion.

“The global semiconductor industry is going through one of the steepest corrections in its history,” said SIA President George Scalise. “While it would be premature to conclude that the sales decline has hit bottom, there are some indications that the rate of decline has moderated from the final quarter of 2008. The industry responded quickly to the changing market environment by curtailing production and reducing inventory as demand slowed in late 2008. The world’s two largest foundry manufacturers have recently reported slight improvements in factory utilization rates, albeit at levels well below those of a year ago,” Scalise continued.

“Demand for semiconductors is likely to continue well below 2008 levels for the next few quarters, with a gradual recovery to follow as the global economy recovers,” Scalise concluded.